


Noctiluca Scintillans

by BlueFeatherQuill



Category: Percy - Fandom, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Existential Crisis, Family Bonding, Fluff, University student woes, this is pure self-gratification
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 08:26:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11528400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueFeatherQuill/pseuds/BlueFeatherQuill
Summary: For the first time in his life Percy is facing a decision that he doesn't even know how to begin making. In the midst of his crisis help arrives from an unexpected source but a familiar face.





	Noctiluca Scintillans

Percy wouldn’t consider himself an introvert, but at the end of a long day like today he often found himself seeking out the solace of isolation. More often than not he’d end up near the closest body of water. The Little Tiber had been a life-saver these past couple of years. Whenever work had gotten too much to bear, when the deadlines were all too much and he just couldn’t focus, Percy would take a stroll along the bank. There were no friendly water nymphs like back at Camp Half Blood but the lull and wash of the water was as soothing as it had ever been.

Sometimes Annabeth would come find him there. She never had the same issues with her workload even though it was at least twice the size of Percy’s. When she came down to the Tiber it was to be with him. They’d spent whole afternoons together watching the lazy ripples reflect the colours of the New Roman sunset.

Tonight though, Annabeth was elsewhere. Tonight she was in her element. Graduation was the culmination of everything she’d worked for for the past three years, for her it marked the beginning of a great career. She was celebrating, as she should be. Percy was just not in the mood.

He was proud, not just of Annabeth, but of himself too. They’d both graduated suma cum laude. They had the world at their feet. But that was part of the problem, what was Percy going to do now? He had all these options and paths he could take , but how did he know which was the right one? Before it had been pretty simple: avoid anything that might lead to apocalyptic destruction. Now though, Percy’s choices didn’t affect anyone but himself, and the thought terrified him.

With a sigh Percy lowered himself to sit right on the edge of the bank. The grass was dry and dusty after a day under the heat of the midsummer sun. Percy wrestled his fancy dress-shoes off his feet then peeled off his socks, dipping his toes into the cool blackness of the water below him. He felt the instant rush of energy like a hit of caffeine. Maybe this would help him make a decision.

He sat contemplating, letting the smooth breeze released by the setting sun ruffle his hair affectionately. Minutes passed like seconds and despite the revitalising effect of the water flowing between his toes, Percy’s eyelids began to droop. He was drifting somewhere between waking and sleeping when the hair on the back of his neck began to prickle with static energy. Quirking one eye open, Percy wasn’t surprised to see a figure standing in the river before him.

“Hey dad,” Percy smiled wryly into the darkness.

“Hello Percy,” Poseidon’s greeting was accompanied by a soft bubbling and suddenly the water about a foot from the bank where Percy sat began to glow, churning up around the waist of Poseidon’s garish Hawaiian shirt. “Noctiluca scintillans, sea sparkle” he grinned. “Very useful variety of sea plankton.” The bloom of glowing water spread behind Poseidon as he waded with very little apparent effort, to sit beside Percy on the river bank.

“What’s up?” Percy asked. He wasn’t used to getting visits from gods outside of dire situations.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Poseidon didn’t look at Percy when he talked, instead he stared out across the green glow, the light hitting his face in a way that made him seem more god-like than when he was ten feet tall. “You seem troubled Percy.”

Percy almost gave a decidedly un-heroic snort. This entire situation seemed so bizarre to him. Poseidon, ancient greek god of the sea, was asking about his problems? The guy had an entire ocean to run whilst Percy… well, his problems had never seemed to be much of an issue until now.

“It’s nothing important,” he shrugged, kicking his feet to agitate the water and creating a sudden burst of light.

“Really?” Poseidon leant down to stroke the current absent-mindedly. “As your father I might disagree. What’s on your mind?” He still hadn’t raised his eyes higher than Percy’s knees.

Normally Percy would just laugh it off. His relationship with his dad was not really the type where they had deep meaningful heart to hearts. Granted, Poseidon had been there for him at critical moments of his life, but Percy could count the number of times they’d been in the same room together on two hands. Honestly? He barely knew the guy.

But tonight Percy was tired, and if he was being honest with himself he was scared too. It wasn’t the same type of scared as when he’d faced off against Kronos or any of the other titans. Then he’d been able to at almost on instinct. This fear was paralysing. He cracked.

“I don’t know what I’m doing!” Percy shook his head in defeat struggling to keep his emotions under control. “I’ve spent three years studying for this degree, and I’ve loved it. It was great but - what now?” Percy’s sea green eyes looked desperately to the god sitting next to him, searching for answers.

“I see,” Poseidon said, staring resolutely ahead. 

“Ahhh- I told you it wasn’t important.” Percy forced a smile as he stretched his arms to the sky and stood up. He slung his shoes over his shoulder by the laces. “I should probably get back to the graduation party. Annabeth’ll be missing me.” He was just turning around to leave when-

“Wait... Percy.” He glanced back over his shoulder. Poseidon’s face was in his hands. “I am not very good at this.” He sighed “Please sit down a second.”

Percy hesitated. He wasn’t entirely sure this was a conversation he wanted to have with his dad. Then again, his mom was three time-zones away on the other side of the country, so it wasn’t like he had a lot of options.

“Sure.” He shrugged, re-taking his seat beside his father, and trying not to jog his leg too much out of nerves.

“Look, Percy,” Poseidon began, finally turning to face his son. “I have had an awful lot of children… I mean a lot.”

Great start dad, Percy thought, desperately searching for a way out of this new form of torture.

“But -” Poseidon paused as though searching for the right words. “I can’t say that any of them have ever managed to do what you have done.” Percy rolled his eyes, not so Poseidon could see of course, he didn’t particularly want to be immolated today. Yet somehow his dad must have seen. “No, No I don’t mean the whole deal with the titans. You already know I was impressed with that, it gave me bragging rights with the other olympians for months!” He chuckled. “No, I’m talking about what you’ve done over the last few years. You’ve made a life for yourself here Percy, a normal one. Or as normal as it gets for a child of one of big three gods. That is what I’m proud of, After everything you’ve been through, everything I’ve put you through… you’re still you.” Poseidon smiled fondly at his son but Percy sensed a degree of regret behind the quirk of the gods lips.

“I… thanks dad but… I don’t know if I am still me. I don’t know who I am. This is what I mean, when people look at me they see Percy Jackson , the kid who re-united the camps and defeated Kronos or whatever, but that’s not me dad! I want to do something different, something new. This degree was supposed to be that, a new start. But there’s no getting away from it here either and I’ve realised that I just don’t know what to do. Annabeth has planned out this amazing life here in New Rome and I don’t want to take that away from her but - I don’t know if I can really go through with it. Living here.. It’s a constant reminder of everything I want to forget.”

Percy was bouncing his leg like crazy now. His ADHD meant sitting still for any amount of time was difficult, but sitting still whilst bearing his soul to his estranged father the god of the sea? Now that was impossible.

“Well Percy I…” Poseidon floundered for a second, “it’s uh, certainly been awhile since I’ve been required to give one of my children life-advice more complicated than ‘stab it with a sword’.” He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “But I’ll do my best.” He gave Percy his best fatherly grin and a pat on the back that almost sent Percy flying into the Tiber.

“You know son, this isn’t something I say often, but I think now is the time to put yourself first. I know you care a lot about this girl, but if I know children of Athena she’ll find a way to make things work out for her. Those kids always get what they want, they take after their mother that way.”

Percy shifted uncomfortably wondering whether he should step in on Annabeth’s behalf.

“The point I’m trying to make Percy is that you’ll be able to best answer all these questions that you have about who you are and what you should do somewhere you feel at home. That isn’t New Rome. You’re a Greek at heart and we never have been much for all this posturing with the ordered cities and the structured regimes and the cursed discipline that these Romans keep harping on about. We’re free spirits Percy. Just like the sea, we can’t be tamed.”

“So you think I should go back to New York? Camp Half-Blood?”

“Not necessarily.”

“But you said I need to feel at home. Where else - ?”

“You know what’s special about this plankton Percy?” Poseidon scooped a handful of the glowing water up from the river surface and held it out for Percy to study.

“Noctiluca scintillans? It glows in the dark.” Percy shrugged, still not understanding.

“Yes. It lights up the sea at night, looks absolutely stunning when you look at it from underwater. But that’s not what I meant. Where does it live?”

“On the sea’s surface?”

“Yes, but where?” Percy frowned.

“Everywhere?” He looked confusedly at his father’s eager expression.

“Exactly.” Gently Poseidon dipped his hand back into the Tiber and allowed the soft green glow to trickle through his fingers.

“Everywhere you find the sea you’ll find a home Percy, I guarantee it. Just because you’re somewhere new doesn’t mean it won’t feel right. You need somewhere new right now, somewhere fresh, a sea breeze where you can be yourself again.”

Percy nodded, understanding dawning in his foamy greeny eyes.

“Somewhere new?”

“Your next adventure” Poseidon nodded. “Only I sincerely hope this one will be considerably less dangerous.”

Percy grinned, a genuine smile that lit up his face brighter than any glowing plankton. 

“Thanks dad.” He stuck out a hand to give Poseidon a handshake but before he could register what was happening he was enveloped in the warmest most relaxing hug he’d ever experienced. It reminded Percy somewhat of the air bubbles that surrounded him when he ventured into the depths. It was reassuring, comforting, safe. His father smelt of the summer cabin at Montauk beach and salt-water taffy.

“Take care of yourself Percy,” Poseidon whispered into his shoulder. “Live well.”

And with that he pushed away from his son and the bank of the river, wading back under the glowing surface of the Tiber. Before he was completely submerged he glanced back once more to smile at Percy.

Perhaps it was just the sea sparkle but in that apple green glow, Percy could have sworn he saw a tear roll down the sea god’s rugged face.


End file.
